Electrolyte control device with captive valve



Sept. 18, 1945. Q Q R|E$ER 2,385,029

ELECTROLYTE CONTROL DEVICE WITH CAPTIVE VALVE Filed Aug. 6,, 1942 mvrnrron 04/4 51? 0.4 15355.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 18, 1945 ELECTROLYTE CONTROL DEVICE WITH' CAP'IIVE VAL'VE Oliver 0. Rieser, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to The Richardson Company, Lockland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 6, 1942, Serial No. 453,814

4 Claims.

My invention relates to electrolyte control means for storage batteries and in particular to a "type of control means employing a washer shaped valve such as is shown in Patent No. 2,283,081 in the name of Charles L. Keller. In this structure the filler well, which is formed in the cell cover, has a depending tubular extension open through the bottom of the filler well and terminating downwardly at the desired maximum electrolyte level with respect to the top of the cell cover. The bottom of the filler well thus takes the form of an annular shoulder which, in the preferred form of the device, is formed in two intersecting planes. A washer shaped valve member lies in the filler well and when free to assume a gravitational position rests against one. of the planes. In this position it closes a perforation through the shoulder to the exterior of the tubular extension.

When the perforation is so closed, the introduction of liquid through the filler well, perforated valve and tubular extension will cause the electrolyte level in the cell of the storage battery to rise until it comes to the lower end of the tubular extension. Thereafter, since gas can no longer escape from the hollow interior of the cell cover, a further addition of liquid will cause the electrolyte to rise rapidly in the tubular extension, thus giving an overfill signal.

The filler plug which closes the filler well is arranged when in place to tilt the valve to a non-gravitational position. This opens up the perforation, venting gases from the hollow interior of the cell cover through the filler Well and the vented filler cap to the atmosphere.

This structure has proved very satisfactory in commercial practice. However, there are instances of use where a captive valve member is desired. Such instancesoccur in the use of storage batteries in military vehicles, and in the shipment and handling of storage batteries and cell covers where the filler caps are either not present or are likely to become displaced. The use of a captive valve means also prevents the accidental dis- 4 provision of a captive valve by means which do not interfere with the normal operation of the overfill device, and do not tend to cause sticking of the valve, whether through wetting or capillary action of liquids, or otherwise. Yet another object of the invention is the provision of captive valve means which does not entail any necessary redesign of the cell covers or the molds by which they are made, the means being of such character that they can be installed in already manufactured cell covers of the preferred type. Yet another object of the invention is to provide means rendering the valve captive which yet may be readily removed Without special tools to permit the replacement of a valve member which may have become damaged.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is made to the drawing wherein:

Figure l'is a longitudinal sectional view of an exemplary cell cover embodying my invention, the structure being shown without a filler plug, and with the valve in the gravitational position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the filler cap in place, and the valve in the non-gravitational position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a retaining means which I may employ.

In the figures, l indicates the top of a cell cover which externally may be of any form appropriate to the particular storage battery with which it is to be used. In the form shown, the top of the cell cover has a depending peripheral skirt 2, the cell cover thus having the form of a hollow body. It is provided with a filler opening 3, having walls defining a filler well 4. A tubular extension 5, open through the bottom of thefiller well and of less internal diameter than the filler well itself, terminates downwardly at such a point that, if it defines the maximum electrolyte level in the cell with which the cover is to be used, this level will be sufliciently below the top of the cell cover to leave an adequate space for the collection of gases.

The bottom of the filler well, which if viewed from above is preferably annular in shape, is formed in two planes 6 and 1. One of these planes, which is the smaller in area, is nearly horizontal, while the other plane '6 may if desired be relieved somewhat as at 8, and is located at a substantial angle to the horizontal. The meeting line of the two planes forms the fulcrum for the weight actuated valve member '9, next to be described. An unrelieved portion of the plane 6 is perforated as at In with a perforation which goes through the bottom of the filler well and opens to the interior of the cell cover externally of the tubular extension 5. This perforation may be a single one formed amply large to vent the gases developed in the cell, or it may be several perforations. In any event, when the valve member is in gravity actuated position as in Figure 1, it will lie against the perforation or perforations and close them off, for the purpose hereinabove set forth.

The interior walls of the filler well proper are threaded to accept a filler plug. They may be threaded throughout their entire length, if desired; but I prefer to provide a narrow unthreaded band at the bottom of the filler well in the area of operation of the valve as shown at 9a. Where the valve is likely to contact the walls, smooth surfaces are thus provided.

The valve 9 itself is a washer shaped member, centrally perforated to disclose the mouth of the tubular extension to permit filling therethrough. The valve will have suificient mass to insure positive weight action and to counterbalance a column of liquid rising in the tubular extension. It is preferably made of a heavy acid resistant metal, such for example as antimonial lead.

As a valve retainer I provide a thin disc like member H in the form of a split ring. This member will also be acid resistant, and will have a certain degree of resiliency, suiiicient to cause the member to retain its position when it is snapped into a tiny groove formed in the walls of the filler well as at [2. This groove may conveniently be cut in the threaded walls by a small rotary cutter after the cell cover is otherwise finished. The position of the groove is high enough in the walls of the filler well so that the member will not interfere with the assumption by the valve member of the gravity actuated position. The perforation in the member II is substantially larger than the perforation in the valve member so as to disclose a considerable area of the surface of the valve member. of course not so large as the outer periphery of the valve member. The member may conveniently and preferably be made of thin hard rubber stock, from which it can be formed by a stamping or die cutting operation. Other materials will however serve, including metal. The substance of the member i i need not necessarily be resilient if it is of such character that the split ring can be expanded into the groove [2.

I employ in connection with this structure a vented filler cap such as that shown in Figure 2. This cap comprises a top l3 having a downward threaded extension is adapted to engage the threads in the filler well walls. Beyond this extension there is a further extension l5 of lesser diameter. The diameter of this extension is smaller than the diameter of the perforation in the split ring member H so that it can pass therethrough. It is however, larger than the diameter of the opening in the valve member 9. It is the part of the filler cap which actuates the valve to non-gravitational position, and is preferably formed with a fiat undersurface. Beyond the extension i5 there is yet another extension This extension is downwardly tapered as shown, and its largest diameter is preferably not larger than the diameter of the perforation in the valve member. Its purpose is to center the valve member at each operation thereof so as to keep it away from the walls of the filler well. Thus when the filler cap is removed, the valve member is free to assume the gravitational position without striking the side walls of the filler well. A similar centering device is shown in my copending application Serial No. 312,909 filed January 8, 1940, now Patent No. 2,308,830 dated January 19, 1943.

All of the extensions of the filler cap are hollowed as indicated at H. Thishollow preferably contains a splash washer IS. The top of the filler cap is vented as at l9. It can readily be seen in Figure 2 how gas collecting in the hollow interior of the cell cover can escape into the filler well through the perforation l0 and thence through the vented filler cap to the atmosphere when the valve is in the non-gravitational position as in Figure 2.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cell cover, a hollow body with a top having a filler opening with walls defining a filler well and a filler well bottom, a tubular extension depending from the bottom of said filler well and open therethrough, said extension terminating downwardly at a desired maximum level for electrolyte with respect to the top of said cell cover, the bottom of said filler well :being formed in two angularly related intersecting planes, one of said planes being at a substantial angle to the horizontal, and the line of intersection of said planes forming a fulcrum for a gravity actuated valve member which in gravity actuated position will follow said last mentioned plane, said last mentioned plane forming the starting point for a gas vent passageway passing through the bottom of said filler well and opening exteriorly of said tubular extension, a gravity actuated valve member in the form of a perforated washer in said filler well, means for retaining said valve member in said filler well, said means comprising a thin split annulus engaged in a groove in the filler well Walls and so located as to permit the movement of said valve member to gravitational and non-gravitational positions, said groove being located at a sufficient depth below the top of said filler well to permit engagement of a filler cap with said filler well walls, the opening in said annulus being of larger diameter than the opening in said valve member, and a vented filler cap having a portion engageable in the walls of said filler well, and, a further downward extension on said filler cap so located as to pass through said annulus and engage the upper surface of said valve member and thereby move it to a non-gravitational position.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 including yet another downward extension, of lesser diameter and conical in configuration, on said filler cap adapted to enter the perforation in said valve member irrespective of the position of said member and center the said valve member in said filler well.

3. The structure claimed in claim 1, wherein said split annulus is a thin member formed of resilient insulative substance, wherein said filler cap and filler well walls are both threaded, and wherein said groove is located substantially at the bottom of the threaded portion of the filler well Walls.

said member of hard rubber, wherein said filler cap and filler well walls are both threaded, and. wherein said groove is located substantially at the bottom of the threaded portion of the filler well 5 walls.

OLIVER O. RIESER. 

